


I don't like Nicknames

by That_Geek



Category: Sarah Jane Adventures, Sarah Jane Smith (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Found Family, Sarah Jane needs therapy, nicknames be gone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28081668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_Geek/pseuds/That_Geek
Summary: Set sometime in Series 1 of SJA. With the events of Dreamland (Big finish) on her mind, Sarah Jane is working on her mental health but one thing she cannot accept right now is nicknames.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 11





	I don't like Nicknames

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who's listened to the Big Finish audio series featuring Sarah Jane Smith...it's me. So now I know all the trauma she went through, not that I enjoyed that. If you haven't listened to it, I highly recommend them, they're a little darker than SJA but not as dark as Torchwood gets so expect some adult language and incidents.   
> For context, in that series, the characters closer to Sarah Jane call her SJ sometimes and she doesn't like it. The fate of one of those friends is unclear at the end so for the purpose of this fic (because let me tell you I will be revisiting this audio series) he died.

Sarah Jane looked at her watch as she stepped out of her therapist’s office. It hadn’t been something she was keen on doing but after adopting Luke she realised it would be better for Luke if she was a little more mentally stable and not having nightmares every time she shut her eyes. The events on the dauntless had really shaken her. Her return to earth was still foggy but one thing that was crystal clear was Josh’s death; there was a lot of survivor’s guilt to work through. Therapy was the first step.

Her watch let her know that the kids would be on their way out of school. She felt in need of some company so as she got in her car she decided to pick them up.

-SJA-

Maria waved to the boys as they exited the building. Luke looked uncharacteristically angry as they walked over.

“You alright Luke?”

“Clyde is annoying me”

“It wasn’t my fault!”

“You always say we have each other’s back and you didn’t have my back today”

“What happened?”

“Clyde didn’t study for the test and tried to cheat and started talking and I am sick of being the project”

“You’re mad Clyde cheated?”

“I got detention because Clyde wouldn’t tell the truth. I don’t like having detention. That’s where the bad kids go”

“I apologised and it's over lunch so we’ll probably just be eating and do work in the last 10 minutes” Clyde shrugged his friends worries off.

“Why didn’t you just say though?”

“I did try to but Mr Baxter is basically evil” Luke just scoffed and started walking in the direction of home. Clyde and Maria ran after him. As they walked away from school they heard a horn; they all turned to see Sarah Jane’s little green car. It slowed as it reached them. 

“Get in you three” the teenagers stopped and looked at each other. Clyde opened the door and pulled the chair forward, he got in. Maria followed and pulled the chair back. Luke glared at the open door, he huffed as he got in and slammed the door. Sarah Jane glanced in the rearview mirror; Clyde and Maria were sitting further apart looking out the windows. Then she glanced at Luke who had his arms crossed and was also leaning away into the window.

“So, do you fancy going for an afternoon snack? I finished my errands and thought we could pop into the bakery” she was met with silence.

“Well, it was just an idea. Do you have lots of work to get done then?” more silence Sarah Jane sighed. There would have been a time; not so long ago actually that Sarah Jane might have recoiled at the thought of spending extra time with a group of people but now after a mentally draining session with her therapist she wanted to feel safe in the company of those loved and the kids who she’d spent so much time with were the answer.

“Not really Sarah Jane, the boys had an argument” Maria spoke up, a small smile on her face.

“Oh, well. Should we resolve it?”

“I don’t want to” Luke shrugged.

“Well that’s a lie, Clyde is your best friend and Luke is yours, Clyde. So when I’m in the bakery you will sort it out. Then we get back home and have our cake. I am not in the mood for arguments, not today” Sarah Jane turned the car up the high street and then into the parking space. She gets out and just before closing the door, she pops her head in.

“Please, sort it out” the door closes and they are alone. For a little bit, they are quiet.

“Seriously are you two not gonna talk?” Maria sits up. Clyde huffs then Luke.

“Urgh, stop copying each other. I don’t know about you but Sarah Jane doesn’t look happy so I think you should just try” Luke turns in his seat to look at Maria.

“It annoys me when you don’t try at school”

“Not everyone can be good at school. It annoys me when you act better than me because you are good at school”

“I didn’t know I did that," Luke wiggles his hand between the chairs, Clyde takes it, "sorry” 

“It’s not all your fault, mate. The smart kids do it and you copy those you admire” They nod at each other and let go. Silence fills the car again.

“He copies you way more than the smart kids” Maria whispers.

“Yeah, I know” Clyde replies.

“Do you want me to help you study, we could do that in detention tomorrow?” 

“Thanks, Luke, but we aren’t allowed to talk to each other in detention”

"So, what’s the point in detention?”

“Well, I suppose if you have a terrible enough time it will deter you from ending up there again” Maria explained.

“That doesn’t seem like a terribly good way to discipline children, what if someone likes being alone to do work and eat lunch?” Clyde and Maria tilt their heads and open their mouths to talk. Sarah Jane opens the car and is met with smiles on teens.

“All sorted then. I got some biscuits and some chocolate cake. Maria, do you think your dad will be home? He could join us for a cuppa” Sarah Jane handed Luke the box of treats and sat in her seat. As they drove off the kids were more animated; explaining what work they had and that they all had forms for going to London with their History class.

“Sounds exciting. I’m glad you’ve got it all sorted with each other” She smiled. Clyde shifted forward and patted her shoulder.

“Yeah, it's all sorted SJ” Sarah Jane paled and slammed on the brakes. Her hands tightened around the wheel of the car. Was she imagining it?

“What did you just say?”

“Um-it's all sorted” Clyde side-eyed Maria 

“You called me something?”

“Oh, yeah SJ it's short for Sarah Jane” He smiled. She shook her head. Cars behind them started to honk, Sarah Jane, flicked something letting those behind know to pass.

“It isn’t. Sarah is and I don’t like nicknames” She stretched her shoulders and restarted the car. They drove back home. Maria went to fetch her dad while Luke, Clyde and Sarah Jane went to set up some tea.

“Sarah Jane, why don’t you like SJ?” Clyde asked as she got the cups out. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and out. She couldn't turn to to face them so as she placed tea bags in a teapot; there were enough people drinking tea to bring out the teapot. She leaned on the counters refusing to look behind her.

“I had friends who called me that. Drove me crazy”

“Were they like us?” Luke asks

“No, well, Nat is very good with computers and J-Josh was, he was a cheeky sod most days. Maybe a little then”

“Did you save the world?” Sarah Jane pauses, had they? Most of the time they were running-hiding. Some world-saving had gone on but not like now. Now she dealt with aliens that barely knew anything of Earth back then; conspiracy theorists and those out for revenge.

“I suppose so, in a roundabout way” she goes quiet and stays that way until Alan and Maria return.

“This is a nice surprise, Sarah Jane” Alan smiles tucking into an empire biscuit.

“I can be nice” She shrugs sipping her tea and looking at him over the rim of her mug, he smiles. The kids eat and talk about how awful Mr Baxter is and at some point, Luke mentions he has detention the next day at lunch. Sarah Jane tells him he should try hard to avoid getting into the situation again but she isn’t that angry; she doesn't quite have the energy. Sarah Jane watches her family; safe in their company and smiles. Maybe one day she’ll tell them but it's probably better they don’t in case anything were to crop in the future. It amazes her that she could feel so safe in one place.


End file.
